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The second vintage of this wine, the 2018 Chardonnay Powder House comes from eight acres of what are now estate-owned vines planted in 2013 to Hyde Old Wente and Mt. Eden clones on Goldridge soils. The vineyard is located in downtown Forestville, right across from the high school. It bursts with tantalizing notions of peaches and cream, orange sherbet and lemon pastilles giving way to a grounded, serious core of Bosc pears, beeswax and baking bread. Full-bodied with a gorgeous creaminess to the texture, it delivers loads of citrus sparks among the stone fruit background with a lively backbone and very long finish. 1,000 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe first vintage of this cuvée I’ve been able to taste (it was first made in 2017), the 2018 Chardonnay Powder House comes from a site on the Sonoma Coast and is from a mix of old Wente and Mt. Eden clones. Its lighter gold hue is followed by a beautiful bouquet of white flowers, honeyed white peach, nectarines, and mint. It’s a classic Aubert Chardonnay, with clean, pure, complex aromatics, full-bodied richness, bright acidity, and a stunning sense of opulence pared with freshness. Drink bottles over the coming 7-8 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSmoky richness accents the concentrated apple and peach pastry flavors, supported by steely acidity. Luscious spiciness emerges midpalate, with a long finish that lingers with intense minerality and sea salt details. Best from 2022 through 2027. 946 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSLots of aromas and flavors of lime zest and lime curd, dried pineapple, hawthorn and crushed hazelnut. Full-bodied and oily on the palate with lingering notes of lime and flint. Tight ending, but keeps going. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2018 Chardonnay Powder House is a bit nervous today. Bright mineral notes give the 2018 a good bit of energy and tension to drive the citrus and floral flavors. I am really looking forward to tasting the 2018 after bottling, as I imagine it will be a bit more relaxed.Vinous Media | 92-95 VM

Flinty and steely with dried-apple, cooked-apple, pineapple, stone and honeysuckle aromas and flavors. Full-bodied and layered. Dense and agile with a vivid, flavorful finish. Complex, rich and so long. Still tight. But ever so serious and complex. Another triumph from Aubert from this vineyard. Drinkable now, but better in a year or two.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2018 Chardonnay Sugar Shack is produced from Montrachet clone vines (what Mark Aubert calls “the citrus circus clone") grown in Rutherford AVA. It starts off a little closed at this youthful stage, soon unfurling to reveal notions of peach cobbler and pink grapefruit with an undercurrent of allspice, powdered ginger and chalk dust. The palate comes through with a powerful wall of concentrated stone fruit and baking spice flavors, supported by just enough freshness to lend balance and lift, finishing long and decadently toasty.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2018 Chardonnay Sugar Shack is wonderfully alluring from the first taste. The Sugar Shack is typically among the more overt wines in this range. The 2018 has plenty of that, but the cool, even growing season and bright acids temper some of that natural exuberance nicely. Orange peel, spice, butter and sweet vanillin all meld together in this wonderfully open-knit, luscious Chardonnay from Mark Aubert.Antonio Galloni | 93-96 AGCreamy and honeyed notes accent the lusciously spiced flavors of ripe peach and baked apple. Toasty and buttery on the juicy finish. Drink now through 2024. 743 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2018 Chardonnay UV-SL comes across as a little shy compared to the Napa Chardonnays, slowly unfurling to reveal oyster shells, peach blossoms, honeysuckle and brine notes over a core of lemon marmalade, crème brûlée and pink grapefruit plus a touch of key lime pie. Full-bodied, the palate is like a tightly coiled spring with loads of tension between the racy acid and all the taut fruit, finishing very long and very minerally. This should be very long-lived!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98+ RPLithe, with notes of dried thyme to the Gala apple and pear tart flavors, rich and pure. Toasty accents show midpalate. The long finish is filled with flinty and minerally components. Best from 2021 through 2026. 874 cases made. — KMWine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2018 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard is ample, dramatic and textured in the glass, with tons of volume as well as resonance. Lemon peel, pineapple, white flowers, orchard fruit and mint all flesh out in this unabashedly opulent, richly textured Chardonnay. The UV-SL is bold and beautiful to the core.Vinous Media | 94-97 VM

From a 20+-year-old section of Hudson selection Old Wente clone vines, the 2019 Chardonnay Hudson (a barrel sample) delivers a full-on exotic nose of tropical fruits, pineapple upside-down cake, beeswax and spiced pears with an undercurrent of cashews and brioche plus a touch of yuzu zest. Full-bodied, the palate is satisfyingly savory and multilayered, with tons of mineral sparks accenting the opulent fruit, and the long, decadent finish is beautifully offset by racy freshness.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPAn inviting nose of jasmine, lemon leaf, chalk and beeswax. Full-bodied and light on its feet with delicate expressions of herbs and spices that carry over the palate in layers. Subtle vanilla bean and toasted thyme on the palate. Supremely elegant. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is a total knock-out. Ripe pear, white flowers, mint and apple tart are all beautifully lifted. Rich in texture, yet light on its feet, the Hudson is unbelievably beautiful and vivid in the glass. In a word: stunning.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMThere’s unctuous minerality and savoriness to the baked apple and dried pear flavors that are lacy and well-spiced, with toasty and buttery accents on the broad-textured finish. Elegant and complex. Drink now through 2026. 579 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Lauren Vineyard (named after Mark Aubert’s daughter) is the first vineyard Mark Aubert ever bought. It is composed of gravel mixed with Goldrich soils and was planted in 1999 to four different clones: two Old Wente clones, Mount Eden and Corton-Charlemagne.The 2019 Chardonnay Lauren Estate (a barrel sample) was fermented and aged in 100% new French oak. Unlike the other 2019 Aubert Chardonnays, this one needs a little swirling and coaxing to reveal the youthfully mute nuances of sea spray, crushed cashews, beeswax and allspice over a core of fresh pineapple, passion fruit, lemon meringue pie and toast. The full-bodied palate delivers the most gorgeous silken texture with tons of opulent spice-laced tropical fruit flavors and a refreshing line, finishing with incredible length and energy. Singularly stunning.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-100 RPWarm and toasted aromas of baked citrus, stone fruit, macadamia nut, crushed sage and dried flowers. Full-bodied. Supremely elegant and sleek. Suede, paprika, turmeric, rose water, lily and dried stone fruit wrap around structured tannins that effortlessly carry the flavors with vivid depth and intensity. Balanced, layered and long. Superb. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard is a blend of two Wente clones, Montrachet and Mt. Eden. That combination produces a wine of uncommon elegance. Texturally alone, the Lauren is so distinctive. Pear, lemon confit, chamomile, marzipan and dried flowers all grace the Lauren, a wine that is just off the chart. Bright saline notes punctuate the finish.Antonio Galloni | 96-98 AGRich acidity supports the focused flavors of Fuji apple, Asian pear and citrus that are vibrant and well-focused. Accents of dried sage midpalate lead to a mineral-infused finish that shows buttery hints. Best from 2022 through 2027. 1,138 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Layered aromas of dried violets and roses, ripe red and black fruit, coriander and a hint of eucalyptus. Full-bodied with bright, humming acidity that amplifies the flavors of dark fruit and mint. Densely packed flavors of melted chocolate, espresso and overturned earth. Chewy finish. Simply delicious. Best after 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSThe UV site is right in the middle of Russian River, planted to Calera and Vosne-Romanée (suitcase) clones. The 2019 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard was aged in French oak, 60% new, and bottled at the beginning of July. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the nose is wonderfully perfumed, featuring notes of red roses, underbrush, wild sage and menthol over a core of pomegranate, black raspberries and wild strawberries. The palate is softly textured and beautifully balanced with full-bodied, generous fruit and just enough freshness, finishing long with a red berry lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2019 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard is incredibly delicate and refined. Freshly cut flowers, mint, sage, dried rose petals and blood orange infuse the UV with notable brightness and energy to match its soft curves. In the glass, the UV is nuanced and so full of complexity. The 2019 UV Pinot is one of the most elegant Pinots I have tasted from Mark Aubert. I would cellar the 2019 for a few years as it has just been bottled.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis crunchy red delivers flavors of dried raspberry and dark currant, with juicy acidity. Ends with toasty richness on the broad and well-spiced finish, with notes of tarragon. Drink now through 2025. 1,155 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Layered aromas of dried violets and roses, ripe red and black fruit, coriander and a hint of eucalyptus. Full-bodied with bright, humming acidity that amplifies the flavors of dark fruit and mint. Densely packed flavors of melted chocolate, espresso and overturned earth. Chewy finish. Simply delicious. Best after 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2019 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard comes from vines planted in 2006. The wine was bottled at the beginning of July 2020. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, it starts out with beguiling scent notions of crushed rocks, tilled soil, truffles and garrigue over a core of kirsch, red currant jelly and black raspberries before giving way to a spicy, fragrant perfume of cardamom, Provence herbs and lavender. The full-bodied palate is super intense and fantastically layered, offering a rock-solid backbone of racy freshness and firm, fine-grained tannins. It finishes on a persistent earthy/ferrous note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2019 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard brings together some of the aromatic breadth of the UV with the textural resonance of the CIX. Rose petal, lavender, spice, menthol, kirsch and dark cherry fruit build in a Pinot that balances density, power and energy. Rich and layered in the glass, with striking inner perfume, the UV-SL is superb.Vinous Media | 96 VMElegant and harmonious, with powerfully structured flavors of dark fruit and Asian spice, backed by rich acidity and supple tannins. There’s minerally snap midpalate, with a finish that shows hints of anise and black olive. Best from 2022 through 2028. 1,202 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

A cool, late-harvest site relative to Aubert’s other sources, the 2020 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons also sees a bit less new French oak (50%). Readers will note that the oak made virtually no impression on me, as the wine bursts with aromas of ripe, honeyed melon, balanced by bright lime notes. Full-bodied, creamy and lush on the palate, this is just a pleasure to drink, finishing long and zesty.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis stunning version opens with a rich impression, with candied ginger, marmalade and honeyed overtones to the core of fresh fruit flavors, including notes of pear, apple, melon and citrus. Hints of orange blossoms and minerality mingle with fresh acidity, while a nutmeg-dominant wave of spices gain momentum on the long finish. Drink now through 2033. 1,538 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA big and juicy white with cooked apple, pear, honey, and mineral. Flint. Full and layered with a flavorful and delicious finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JS

The 2023 Chardonnay Powder House finds Mark Aubert at the top of his game. Rich and unctuous in the glass, the 2023 has it all. Preserved lemon, white flowers, slate, mint, tangerine oil, lychee, and a kiss of French oak fill out the layers. A flicker of reduction adds freshness as this opulent, large-scale Chardonnay shows off its alluring personality.Vinous Media | 97 VM